Kale Salad with Caramelized Grapefruit, Avocado, Feta and Pesto Dressing

This detox kale salad with pesto dressing is designed to revitalize you and to make you feel good! It’s also delicious, refreshing and easy to make.

Detox salads don’t have to be boring and unappealing! Try to make this revitalizing and light Kale Salad with Caramelized Grapefruit, Avocado, Feta and Pesto Dressing. If you’ve been eating well lately (just like me), you probably need some. This salad is designed to wipe the slate clean, to energize you and to make you feel good! It’s also delicious and easy to make. And kale pesto dressing is so good! You can actually make a double batch and use it for other dishes (e.g. pasta). I’ve recently started caramelizing citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and grapefruits. They are traditionally among the most common and affordable winter fruits. Being an indispensable source of nutrients, they help the body to maintain its immune function.

However, in addition to the traditional use of citrus in raw form, there are many ways to add them to your dishes. Lemons, oranges, grapefruits and limes are capable to make your meals more saturated like no other fruits can. If you dip them in Demerara sugar and then grill them on a hot dry pan, the citrus aroma will intensify, enriching the taste of any dish, be it a salad, a dessert, roasted vegetables or fish. Roasted grapefruits add a pleasant sweet bitterness to the salad, while creamy avocado and pesto dressing are in charge of binding everything together. As for the health benefits, you know that kale, grapefruits and avocado are good for you. They contain numerous vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, omega-3 fats, carotenoids and antioxidants. If you want to restore your balance, to boost your metabolism and to feel more energetic, consider eating some kind of detox salad at least twice a week and see what happens. I have some more healthy salad recipes for you:

Kale Pumpkin Salad with Feta and Pesto DressingBeetroot Salad with Persimmon, Kale and Goat Cheese

Warm Winter Salad with Pumpkin, Goat Cheese, Cranberries and Avocado Dressing

If you want to make any salad detoxing, cut most of the processed ingredients (cheese in this case). Use whole, simple and natural ingredients. To make you feel better and intensify the effects of detox salads, consider following these simple rules of clean eating. The most important thing in my opinion is moderation, as well as being mindful about what you eat. Take an action and start from making this delicious and refreshing kale salad with caramelized grapefruit, avocado, feta and pesto dressing!

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Kale Salad with Caramelized Grapefruit, Avocado, Feta and Pesto Dressing

Course Salad

Cuisine European

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Elena Szeliga

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 bundle curly-leaf kale
• 1 medium-sized grapefruit
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon Demerara sugar
• 1 avocado
• 80 grams or 3.5 oz Greek feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

For the pesto dressing:

• 70 grams or 1 cup kale leaves chopped
• 20 grams or 1/6 cup cashew nuts
• 25 grams or 1/8 cup grated parmesan or any other hard or vegan cheese for vegetarians
• 5-6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 sprigs tarragon
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 clove garlic
• salt
• black pepper

Instructions

• Wash and dry kale leaves with a kitchen towel. Remove the ribs with kitchen scissors. Roughly chop kale and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with 1-2 pinches of salt. Knead kale for a minute until it's soft and dark.
• Set a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Slice the grapefruit into 1 cm (or ½ inch) thick slices, discarding the rounded bottom and top. Add the olive oil to the pan. Dip the grapefruit slices into Demerara sugar from both sides. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip them over and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.
• Distribute kale on two plates. Slice avocado and add it to kale. Discard the zest from the grapefruit slices and cut them in halves. Transfer to plates. Break feta cheese with your fingers on top of the salad. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Combine chopped kale leaves, cashew nuts, grated parmesan, olive oil, tarragon, lime juice, garlic, salt and black pepper for the pesto dressing. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
• Serve the salad with pesto dressing. Enjoy!

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What is your favorite healthy salad? I’d love to know!

Greetings,

Elena

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